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London (Ontario) Travel Guide

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London [1] is a medium-sized city in Ontario, Canada. It is located west of Toronto, between Lake Huron and Lake Erie at the forks of the Thames River (not to be confused with the River Thames in London, England).

Contents

Understand

London, pop. 378,000, is a major manufacturing centre for southwestern Ontario, founded in 1792. It was once known for its courthouse and gallows, but is now a typical thriving mid-sized city. Early in its history it was considered as a potential site for the capital city of Canada, but that title eventually went to Ottawa.

Many cities, towns, counties, and rivers in this area of Southwestern Ontario take their names from England, and London is no exception. London Ontario features similarly named landmarks such as Picadilly St., the Covent Garden Market and the Thames River. However, London Ontario has little else in common with the British capital.

London's Wonderland Gardens became a big-band hotspot starting in 1935, but it was in the 1920s that London-born Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians hit the US music scene and went on to acheive lengendary fame.

With 4 major hospitals, London functions as a regional medical center, treating patients with complex medical conditions from up to 100 miles away. London also has the region's only university (The University of Western Ontario) which has all the typical professional schools (law, medicine, engineering) as well as sciences and the arts. Students comprise a significant percentage of London's population.

Get in

By plane

The London International Airport [2] is serviced by a handful of airlines which primarily fly in connecting from Toronto or Detroit. The airport is serviced by a new as of September 3, 2006 city bus route named 36 - Airport Industrial. Also, RobertQ Airbus [3] does regular routes to London and other Southwestern Ontario cities.

By train

By car

London is most readily accessed from highway 401, which runs through the southern part of the city and connects London with Toronto and other parts of the country. The speed limit on the 401 in most parts is 100 kph, but expect most people to be travelling at ~120 kph in good conditions. The easiest exit off the 401 to London is Wellington Road North, this will put you right into a busy shopping district and pointed in the right direction to get to the downtown core.

While travelling around London by car, simply keep in mind the main grid system of the streets. Fanshawe Park Road runs east-west across the northern part of the city. It intersects Richmond Street at Masonville Place Shopping Centre in the north-eastern part of the city. Richmond continues south in the western part of the city. Fanshawe also intersects Adelaide street more east, and Adelaide again continues south.

By bus

Greyhound, and various other bus terminals, mostly located in downtown London.

Get around

The London Transit Commission (LTC) operates within the city at a $2.50 cash fare, ticket strips are available at a reduced price at most convenience stores, and monthly passes are available. Buses vary from every 5 minutes downtown, to every 15 or 30 minutes in various other areas. Taxi companies such as AboutTown, U-Need-A and Checker are more expensive, but more efficient alternatives. The city also has an extensive bicycle path network.

See

Do

Learn

Work

Buy

  • CityLights bookstore is one of the best used bookstores to be found anywhere and a city landmark. A huge selection with a particularly good science fiction section can be found here. Located on Richmond Street between King and York streets.

Eat

Many good restaurants are along Richmond Street in downtown London but this is only the tip of the iceburg.

Downtown

  • Ben Thanh, 57 York St. at Ridout, 438-4888. Very popular Vietnamese/Thai restaurant with many vegetarian options and reasonable prices. Ben Thanh has recently opened a second location at Wellington Rd and Southdale in the south end of the city.
  • Billy's Deli, downtown on Dundas, just west of Richmond. Great for breakfast, mennonite-inspired food and good portion sizes. Seasonal desserts are not to be missed and sell out quickly, particularly during strawberry season. Closed on Sundays.
  • Jambalaya, 646 Richmond St., 858-2000. Cajun, Caribbean and Thai in a cozy atmosphere.
  • Spageddy Eddy's, 428 Richmond Street, 645-3002. Pasta bar popular with students.
  • Manna Grill, 276 Wharncliffe Road North, 439-5770. Authentic Korean Dishes and Japanese Fare.
  • Stobie's Pizza, 484 Richmond St., 432-2228. A Local favourite with gigantic slices of pizza at extremely reasonable prices. Usually open past 3 am.
  • Delta London Armouries, 325 Dundas Street, 679-6111. Hotel restaurant well known for having “London's Best Sunday Brunch.”

South

  • Shiki Japanese Restaurant, 715 Wellington Road S. near Southdale, 668-7407. This popular place serves fresh and delicious authentic Japanese fare. A rare find and a perfect place for a friendly lunch meeting or romantic dinner date.

Drink

Londoners know that the best places to drink are on Richmond Street. Generally, the locals head to the bars and clubs around 10pm and stay until closing time at 2:30am (last call is at 2:00). The best bars and clubs are closest to Victoria Park. Cover charges are minimal ($5-10), drink prices are normally reasonable. Tim Hortons, the Canadian coffee and doughnut fast food chain, has many restaurants in the city.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Contact

Cope

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